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Author: Jiwoon Park

I am a PhD student in chemical oceanography at University of Washington. I am studying how different forms of metals in the ocean are shaping microbial communities in the North Pacific Ocean. When not working, I like going for a walk, visiting farmers' markets and playing keyboard.
A century-long record of mercury contamination in seabirds
Pollution

A century-long record of mercury contamination in seabirds

Seabird feathers can tell us how serious mercury pollution in the ocean is.
March 10, 2023March 10, 2023 Jiwoon Park
Chemicals released from plastic disrupt marine microbes
Plastic

Chemicals released from plastic disrupt marine microbes

We know how plastic pieces affect ocean life, but do we think enough about “invisible” chemicals from plastic?
December 6, 2022December 6, 2022 Jiwoon Park
An alternative for Brita water filters may come from the ocean
Pollution

An alternative for Brita water filters may come from the ocean

Read about how diatoms (algae in the ocean) can be used to remove nickel from contaminated waters
June 3, 2022May 31, 2022 Jiwoon Park
Double trouble: Coral reefs are threatened by ocean acidification and copper
Ocean Acidification

Double trouble: Coral reefs are threatened by ocean acidification and copper

Slow growth and sickness are in stock for coral reefs if we continue putting carbon dioxide into the ocean.
April 7, 2022April 4, 2022 Jiwoon Park
Phytoplankton are experts at adjusting themselves to changing temperatures
Biology

Phytoplankton are experts at adjusting themselves to changing temperatures

Learn about how quickly phytoplankton can survive frequent changes between high and low ocean temperatures!
February 6, 2022February 6, 2022 Jiwoon Park
Plastic pollution in the time of COVID-19 pandemic
Pollution

Plastic pollution in the time of COVID-19 pandemic

Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic are not just confined to public health and the economy, they extend to the environment.
December 8, 2021December 7, 2021 Jiwoon Park
Volcanoes fuel life in the ocean
Biogeochemistry

Volcanoes fuel life in the ocean

Read about how volcanic ash travels hundreds of miles by wind and supplies iron, an essential nutrient, to ocean life.
October 7, 2021October 5, 2021 Jiwoon Park
That’s a weird thermometer! Using changes in the travel time of sound to monitor changes in ocean temperatures
Undergraduate Research

That’s a weird thermometer! Using changes in the travel time of sound to monitor changes in ocean temperatures

How can we use the speed of sound in seawater to track ocean temperatures and study climate change?
September 4, 2021August 31, 2021 Jiwoon Park
Metals from penguin poop can support life in the Southern Ocean
Chemistry

Metals from penguin poop can support life in the Southern Ocean

Penguins help the Southern Ocean ecosystems by pooping! Read about how metals from penguin poop keep the Southern Ocean healthy.
August 10, 2021August 6, 2021 Jiwoon Park
Are biodegradable plastics too good to be true? Here’s what actually happens to them in the ocean
Pollution

Are biodegradable plastics too good to be true? Here’s what actually happens to them in the ocean

“Biodegradable plastics are better for the environment!” You might have heard this a lot, but is this true? Do biodegradable…
June 9, 2021June 9, 2021 Jiwoon Park
Fish feed on ocean plastic… but are they really only eating plastic?
Pollution

Fish feed on ocean plastic… but are they really only eating plastic?

Pretty much any plastic product is made from plastic pellets. However, billions of pellets have now made their way into…
April 15, 2021April 15, 2021 Jiwoon Park
Microbes pull nitrogen out of air to feed the warming oceans
Biological oceanography Climate Change

Microbes pull nitrogen out of air to feed the warming oceans

Some ocean microbes can take nitrogen gas from the air and convert it to different forms that can be used…
March 11, 2021March 10, 2021 Jiwoon Park
Plastic in the ocean chokes albatrosses
Conservation

Plastic in the ocean chokes albatrosses

Albatrosses are amazing wanderers of the ocean, but they are threatened by ocean plastic pollution. Read on to learn more…
February 11, 2021February 11, 2021 Jiwoon Park
Tiny Human-Engineered Particles Damages Marine Life
Pollution

Tiny Human-Engineered Particles Damages Marine Life

Nanoparticles exist everywhere in our lives – on the fabric of your clothing, the makeup you wear, the display of…
January 18, 2021January 17, 2021 Jiwoon Park
Human mercury pollution found at the deepest ocean
Pollution

Human mercury pollution found at the deepest ocean

For many decades, humans have been putting mercury into the ocean, contaminating big fish like tuna and swordfish. But we…
December 17, 2020December 17, 2020 Jiwoon Park
Predicting the future of coral reefs is complicated by human impacts
Coral

Predicting the future of coral reefs is complicated by human impacts

Coral reefs are often referred to as the “rainforests of the sea” for hosting a great diversity of life, but…
November 17, 2020November 16, 2020 Jiwoon Park
Dust may feed more life in a warmer ocean
Chemistry

Dust may feed more life in a warmer ocean

Just as our bodies need iron to stay healthy, ocean microbes also need iron to grow. Iron in the ocean…
October 20, 2020October 20, 2020 Jiwoon Park
Ocean plastic pollution damages bacteria that help us breathe
Plastic Pollution

Ocean plastic pollution damages bacteria that help us breathe

Every minute, we are dumping a garbage truckload of plastic litter into the ocean. Plastic pollution in the ocean are…
September 21, 2020September 22, 2020 Jiwoon Park
How will climate change affect the Southern Ocean ecosystems?
Climate Change

How will climate change affect the Southern Ocean ecosystems?

Changes in the Southern Ocean can affect global climate, and understanding the Southern Ocean’s response to climate change helps us…
August 24, 2020August 26, 2020 Jiwoon Park
What your poop says about your diet: Iron in the ocean is controlled by zooplankton diet and poop
Microbiology

What your poop says about your diet: Iron in the ocean is controlled by zooplankton diet and poop

Have you ever had weird colored poop? Just like your poop can tell you what you've been eating lately, zooplankton…
July 23, 2020July 20, 2020 Jiwoon Park

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